ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of PIAS3 (protein inhibitor of activated signal transducers and activators of transcription 3) in the evolutionary process of gastric cancer. METHODS: Samples were taken from the endoscopic biopsy specimens of 125 patients. Gastric mucosal lesions were diagnosed in HE staining, and chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) with intestinal metaplasia (IM) were distinguished in AB-PAS and HID-AB staining. The expressions of PIAS3 gene in different types of gastric mucosal lesions were detected by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. The results were analyzed using IPP 6.0 image analysis system, from which the average optical density was obtained of positive cells. RESULTS: There were 25 patients with chronic superficial gastritis (CSG), 87 CAG (30 with complete intestinal IM, 27 with incomplete intestinal IM, 21 with complete colonic IM, 9 with incomplete colonic IM), 8 dysplasia (DYS) and 5 gastric cancer (GC). In the expressions of PIAS3 mRNA and protein, a difference was not found between the patients with CSG and those with CAG with complete or incomplete intestinal IM; however, a significant difference was statistically found among patients with CSG (or intestinal IM), complete colonic IM, incomplete colonic IM, DYS and GC, expression levels of which stepped down one by one. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in the PIAS3 expression from different stages of gastric precancerous conditions/lesions to GC, which may reveal a close relationship between expression reduction or loss of PIAS3 and gastric tumorigenesis.
Subject(s)
Gastric Mucosa/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT/genetics , RNA, Neoplasm/genetics , Stomach Neoplasms/genetics , Adult , Aged , Biopsy , Disease Progression , Female , Gastric Mucosa/pathology , Gastritis, Atrophic/genetics , Gastritis, Atrophic/metabolism , Gastritis, Atrophic/pathology , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , In Situ Hybridization , Male , Middle Aged , Precancerous Conditions , Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT/biosynthesis , Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism , Stomach Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: PIAS3 is the endogenous inhibitor of STAT3, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many cancers. However, the effect of PIAS3 on human tumors remains elusive. The aim of this article is to investigate the expression of PIAS3 in gastric carcinoma and its adjacent non-tumor tissues. METHODS: Samples were taken from 30 patients with gastric cancer, which included tumor or non-tumor tissues in the excised sections. The expression of PIAS3 protein was detected by immunocytochemistry, and that of mRNA by in situ hybridization. The results were semi-quantitative analyzed by using cell count and color depth to stage. RESULTS: The expression levels of PIAS3 protein and mRNA were significantly lower in gastric cancerous tissues than in its adjacent non-tumor tissues, and had a close relation with tumor size and differentiation, but not with age, gender and lymphatic metastasis in gastric carcinoma. The more large in size and poorly in differentiation, the more low PIAS3 expression was. CONCLUSION: Loss of PIAS3 expression may be an important characteristic of gastric cancer and suggest vicious degree of the tumor.
